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Beowulf

Beowulf. Background & Literary Devices. Beowulf is…. The first great work of English national literature The epic story of the hero, Beowulf, who fights the demonic monster, Grendel. Beowulf is an epic hero .

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Beowulf

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  1. Beowulf Background & Literary Devices

  2. Beowulf is… • The first great work of English national literature • The epic story of the hero, Beowulf, who fights the demonic monster, Grendel. • Beowulf is an epic hero. • Reminder: Epic heroes are central figures in long narratives that reflect the values and heroic ideals of a particular society. • Reminder: An epicis a quest story on a grand scale.

  3. The Bard • Definition: a : a tribal poet-singer skilled in composing and reciting verses on heroes and their deeds b : a composer, singer, or declaimer of epic or heroic verse 2: poet • Beowulf is an oral epic passed from bard to bard.

  4. Harpist-bardstold thefamiliar story for audiences in the communal halls at night. Reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village in West Stow, England, with communal hall on the left. • Written down between 700 and 750.

  5. Places • Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia Scandinavia Britain • Scholars think Herot might have been built on the coast of Zealand, in Denmark

  6. Who wrote it down? Theory: The poet who wrote Beowulf down may have been a Northumbrian monk. Evidence: • scenery described resembles Northumbria (northeastern England) • Christian elements in epic

  7. Who wrote it down? • Only a single manuscript of the poem survived the Anglo-Saxon era. In the 1700’s it was nearly destroyed in a fire. • It was not until 1936 when the Oxford scholar J.R.R. Tolkien published a paper on the poem that is became popular.

  8. Heroic Values • Relationship between king and his warriors • The king rewards his warriors with gifts • If a kinsman is slain, obligation to kill the slayer or obtain payment (wergeld) in compensation

  9. Conflict: Christian vs. Pagan Values • This tension is at the heart of the poem • Pagan history and myth are made to point to a Christian moral • Beowulf is poised between two value systems

  10. The Importance of Establishing Identity The Difference Between a Good Warrior and a Good King Good vs. Evil Strength & Skill Fate Wealth Religion Violence Tradition and Customs Themes

  11. Literary Devices: Caesura(siz-you-rah) Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses a caesura, or rhythmic pause, to create unity. Locate the caesura in these lines: ða com of more         under misthleoþum Grendel gongan,         godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða         manna cynnes sumne besyrwan         in sele þam hean. Line divided into two parts by a caesura.

  12. Literary Devices: Caesura Here are the same lines in modern English fromBurton Raffel’s translation: Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot. Punctuation reproduces pause effect of the caesura.

  13. Literary Devices: Alliteration The Anglo-Saxon oral poet also used the poetic device of alliteration. Grendelgongan,godes yrre bær; myntesemanscaðamannacynnes

  14. Literary Devices: Alliteration Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds in words close together. Andwitholdwoesnew wail my deartime’swaste. The emphasis on the wsound in this line from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 30 creates a melancholy tone.

  15. Literary Devices: Alliteration Find examples of alliteration in Burton Raffel’s translation of lines 1-5: Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

  16. Literary Devices: Alliteration Find examples of alliteration in Burton Raffel’s translation of lines 1-5: Out fromthemarsh,fromthefootofmisty Hillsandbogs,bearingGod’shatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

  17. Literary Devices: Kenning a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.

  18. Kennings: Their Effect A kenning enhances the literal meaning of the words. A kenning gives the listener an idea of how the words connect to an idea or concept that is richer and more emotionally complex.

  19. Examples of kennings from Beowulf: gold-shininghall= Herot guardian of crime= Grendel strong-hearted wakeful sleeper= Beowulf cave-guardandsky-borne foe= dragon

  20. Practice  Create modern-day kennings for things you see around you. giver of words word-wand ? ? ? ?

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